On occasions there is a need to maintain vessels substantially free of moisture. This is particularly true with vessels containing chemicals, and especially such chemicals as drugs, vitamins and minerals.
Presently, in an attempt to maintain, or obtain, such a relatively dry state in vitamin bottles for example, small packets of sealed desiccants are physically placed inside the bottle intermixed with the vitamins themselves. This method has been relatively inefficient since the packets are submerged in the contents and are unable to effectively remove the moisture in the atmosphere above. Another drawback has been removal of the packets by the users thereby eliminating their effectiveness or still worse, occasionally eating the packets by the individuals.
Chemical laboratories have a particular need for efficient removal of moisture from vessels. In such laboratories drying tube adaptors are used. The adaptor contains a stopper with an extended U-tube having a tube at its other end which contains the desiccant. This adaptor is quite inefficient. In order for the vapor to be removed from the atmosphere of the vessel, it must diffuse through the vessel into the U-tube and finally into the tube containing the desiccant. As can be noted, moisture is required to travel a long distance from the vessel to the desiccant, which makes it less likely that all of the moisture will be removed from the vessel's atmosphere.
It is therefore an object of this invention to have a device which effectively and efficiently removes moisture from the atmosphere of vessels which at the same time optionally prevents moisture from entering into the vessel.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device which can be easily used on the vessels and wherein the desiccant is part of the device itself, and is as close as possible to the atmosphere from which the moisture is to be removed.